Corner bead



1 624 541. Aprll 12, 1927. E CURTIS v CORNER BEAD Original Fild Nov. 24- 1923 2 SheetS-Sheet 1 W N w 1 W l,624,541 E. cuRTls CORNER BEAD I Original Filed Nov 24. 1923 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MMM blank Patentecl Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED' sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS E. cUn'rIs, or wABREN,

oHro, AssIGNoR, BY MEsNE AssIGNMENTs, To A. c.

PAUL, OF MINNEPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AND GEORGE A. CHRITTON, OF RIVEE FOR- ES'I', ILLINOIS, TRUSTEES.

oonNEn BEAD.

'Application led November 24, 1923, Serial No. 676,733. Renewed January 24, 1927.

. The present invention relates to the manufacture of expanded metal corner beads, and

will be fully understood from the following description, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fi 1 is a plan view of one end`of a blank suita le for use in the manufacture of the bead. y

Fig. 2 is a'plan view corresponding to Fig. 1, showing the same position of the provided with a central groove or channe Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the blank at the stage shown in Fig. 2, the blank being illustrated between forming dies or rolls, also shown in partial section.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view, somewhat diagrammatic, of a die suitable for use in slitting the blank.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view through the die on the line 5.-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view'of the blank at an intermediate stage in the slitting operation, thte forward endbeing shown with marginal r1 s.

Fig. 7 `is'a sectional view of the blank, showing the contour of the marginal ribs 01' rooves and also showing in section the rib forming dies or rolls.

Fig. 8 shows in end elevation the slitted blank after an initial median bending operation, also showing diagrammatically in sec- 'tion the bending dies or rolls.

Fig. 9 shows the slitted blank in end elevation after the bead forming operation, also showing diagrammatically the bead forming dies.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the slitted blank after the bead forming operation.

Figs. 11 and 12 show respectivel the initial and final stages of the expanding operation, the expandin diesbeing, diagrammatically shown, an

. Fig. 13 is 'a side elevationof a portion of the expanded corner bead.

In accordance with the present invention` a strip or blank of sheet'metal is slit' on each side of a defined central area, a median channel being formed in the central area, longitudinally of the blank, prior to the bending of the blank into bead form. In the drawings the formation of this channel is shown lor rolls 12 and 13, as shown diagrammatically i preferably following as taking place prior to the slitting operation, this order may, if desired, be reversed. Thus in Fig. 1, the numeral 10 designates the strip or'blank, an end portion of which is shown. In Fig. 2, the blank 10 is shown with a median channel 11, -of trough-like form, this channel being suitably formed by passing the blank 10 either continuously or step by step through suitable mating dies diagrammatically in Fig. 3. In this figure the blank is shown in section, with the trough-like chan; nel 11 formed therein.

The blank isslitted on both sides of Va defined central larea in which the longitudinal channel is formed either before or after the channel forming operation. In the illustrated embodiment of the process the slitting is shown as following the channel forming operation. .The slits formed parallel' each other in rows longitudinally'of the is intrmittently advanced, a group of a plurality of slits being formed in each longitudinal row after each step of advance movement, the groups of slits in adjacent rows on either side of the defined central area not being transversely aligned; but

each other. In practice the group of slits formed in each row preferably contain the same number of slits and the blank is advanced at each step the length of a group of slits, whereby, on continuing theoperation for'the length of the blank, the rows the length thereof.

Suitable means for carrying the slitting operation into efl'ect are illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. In Fig. 4 is shown in plan the cutting face of a die 14 in which ai'e mounted groups of slitters 15, inclined to the length of the die, The groups of slitters on either side of the central area contain equal numbers of slitters 15, and those in adjacent rows are not transversely aligned, but. follow each other. Thus, on either' side `of the median line there is a'group of -slitters in of slits extend evenlyz ioo one longittiidinal row, designated A, and immediately following it a group B :in the next adjacent row. lt will also be noted step. This is continued for the length of the blank, longitudinal rows of parallel inclined slits 17 being therehy formed for the entire lenglth of the blank. InfFig. 6 the blank is s own at an intermediate stage in the slitting operation, the herrin -bone arrangement of the strands on eac side of the central area being clearly apparent.

After bein slit, in the embodiment of the process i ustrated, the blank may be passed between suitable dies or rolls 18, 1.9 by which marginal ribs 20 are formed in the hlank, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It is readily apparent that, if desired, the marginal ribs may be formed in the sheet prior to the slitting operation, or at any other desired stage of operation.

'*The central area of the blank which is preferably channelled, and on each side of whicuh` slits are formed in the manner above described, is shaped to head form. This may suitably be efi'ected in two stages, as

' shown in Figs. 8 and 9.- The channelled blank is passed between dies or rolls 21 and 22, which bend over the channelled central area of the blank to approximately the desired angle (e. g. as shown in section in Fig. 8, and is then formed to head Shape, for example, by sliding dies 23, 24 and 25 cooperating with a stationary die 26. These dies shape the central portion of the blank to a head portion 2G and a stem portion 27, from which the slitted sides project at an angle, the blank at this stage being shown in section in Fig. 9 and in side elevation in Fig. 10.

` The blank is then 'expanded, suitable means for this purpose being shown in Fi s. 11 and 12. The expanding device may su1tably be provided with a central gripping device 29, which engages the head portion, preferably at the stem portion28, and side gripping devices 30, which may suitably engage the marginal ribs 20. The side gripping devices are swung to the position shown in Fig, 12 after engagin the blank, thereby expanding the latter y bending and twistino' the strands. The completed product is shown in section in Fig. 12, and in side elevation in Fig. 13.

I claim:

1. The' method of forming an expanded metal corner head which consists in advancnormami ing a blank longitudinally, forming a central channel therein, forming a plnrality of slits in a longitudinal row on each side of said central channel, continuing the advance of the blank and the formation of slits for` the length of the blank, Shaping the central channel to form a head and subsequently expanding the slitted portions on each side thereof.

2. The method of forming an expanded metal corner head which consists in advancing a blank longitudinally step by step a distance of a plurality of slits to be cut therein, forming a central channel therein, after each successive movement of the blank simultaneously forming therein series of lon- .gitudinally aligned inclined slits on each side of a defined central area, continuing the advance of the sheet and the formation of slits for the length of the Sheet, Shaping the central channel to form a head bending the blank longitudinally to cause the slitted side i portions of the blank to form an angle with each other, and subsequently expanding the slitted side portions.

3. The method of forming an expanded metal corner head which consists in advancing a hlank longitudinally step by step a distance of a plurality of slits to he cut therein,

forming a central channel therein, after each i successive movement of the blank simultaneously fornnng therein series of lon itudinally aligned incline'd slits on each si e of a defined central area, continuing the advance of the sheet and the formation of slits for -the length of the Sheet, Shaping the central channel to form a head and to cause the slitted side portions of the blank to form an angle with each other and subsequently expanding the slitted side portions, the margins of the blank being longitudinally ribbed prior to the said Shaping operation.

4. The method of forming an expanded metal corner head which consists in advancing a blank longitudinally step by step a distance of a plurality of Vslits to'he cut therein, forming a central channel therein, after each successive movement of the blank simultaneously forrning therein series of longitudinally aligned inclined slits on each side of a defined central area, continuing the advance of the sheet, and the formation of slits for the, length of the Sheet, Shaping the central channel to form a head and to cause the slitted side portions of the blank to form an angle with each other, and suhsequently expanding the slitted side portions, the central area being channelled and the margin being ribbed prior to the said Shaping operation.

5. The method of forming an expanded metal corner head which consists in advancing a blank longitu'dinally step' by step a distance of a plurality of slits to be cut therein, forming a central channel therein, after each successve movement of the-blank simultane ousl forming therein series of longitdinall a igned inclined slits on .each side of a dened central area, said central area being 5 previously channelled, continuing the advance of the Sheet and the'formation of slits for the length of the Sheet, forming ribs in the outer margins of the blank,` Shaping the central channel to form a head' and to cause the slitted side portions of the blank to form 10 an angle `with each other and subsequently gripping said central bead andflthe edges of the Sheet and separating them, thereby expanding the sli'tted side portions;

' LEWIS E. oURTIs. 

